The preliminary annual landings in the table below correspond to the queen conch ACL set under the 2010 ACL Amendment to the Caribbean Fishery Management Council’s Queen Conch FMP.
No person may fish for or possess queen conch in U.S. Caribbean federal waters, except from November 1 through May 31 in the area east of 64°34′ West longitude, which includes Lang Bank east of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI).
Recreational landings are not available for queen conch. Commercial landings and ACL are reported in pounds round weight.
When the ACL is reached or projected to be reached, the Regional Administrator will file a notification with the Office of the Federal Register to close U.S. Caribbean federal waters to the harvest and possession of queen conch in the area east of 64°34′ West longitude.
|
ACL |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
50,000 |
36,946 |
21,431 |
23,499 |
19,533 |
34,343 |
37,089 |
11,910 |
24,262 |
16,983 |
FOR THE MOST CURRENT FEDERAL REGULATIONS: Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 622 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic
Barotrauma expands gasses in a fish causing the air bladder and other organs to expand as well, making it difficult for fish to swim after release. Credit: NOAA Fisheries, Florida SeaGrant
Recreational fisherman with red snapper.
